


A Lost Scene

by luxdancer



Category: Final Fantasy XII
Genre: Drabble, F/M, Ficlet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-05
Updated: 2014-02-05
Packaged: 2018-01-11 07:21:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1170260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luxdancer/pseuds/luxdancer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fran and Balthier have a conversation about immortality, love, and the Sky, after Vaan asks her how old she is.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Lost Scene

"Don't let that Dalmascan thief rattle you, Fran." Balthier said, following her wake. She came to rest at another balcony, a lonely platform that barely had a view; so dense was the foliage of the trees beyond.

"As the Wood is to I, you humes have only now." It was as though the wood swallowed the sound of her voice; so low, so small it seemed.

Balthier replied with rote cheerfulness from the doorway. "That's why we live life in each moment; excitement, adventure, treasure, all the finer things."

"Chasing princesses?" There was a wry smile, a raised eyebrow in her voice.

"Jealous?" Fran gave him a sharp look, he coughed and threw her his most charming grin. She only rolled her eyes. "I'm not chasing her, I can't help it if women find me irresistible, what with being the leading man and all." Balthier shook his head and shrugged. "Even if I thought it would go anywhere, which it won't, I don't think I could quite tolerate being the Queen's consort. Boring diplomatic functions with stuck-up old men, had quite enough of that before. And I ill think that Lady Ashe would throw away her crown after all she's done to assure it. Duty, obligation, and all that. As a lark, a fling, perhaps, but the Sky knows where my heart lives; 'til my last breath, hopefully a very long time from n-"

"And what would become of me when you pass?" Her interjection was quiet, her eyes still on some distant point among the quivering, ancient boughs of the forest. Balthier lapsed into silence and went to her side; almost touching, but not quite.

After the longest moment, Balthier spoke, "That again, is it?" He gently let his hand to rest near hers, just so the edges of their smallest fingers overlapped, "I always say, if you want something, you should take it, tomorrow be damned."

Fran pulled her hand away and Balthier sighed. She turned away from the wood, faced inward, and Balthier leaned against the railing of the balcony, staring out for glimpses of blue between the oppressing green. Fran said, slowly, "For I, to take what I would, as you do, to love as I would. All these things, they pass."

"We humes, as you say, we have only now. Some of us are keenly aware of that fact, which is why we chase princesses." He smiled to himself, "Can't be wasting time, can we?" Balthier looked up to see her response, but there was no change in her dark expression.

He tried again. "I don't think it matters to the Sky that we will die one day, only that She loves us now." Balthier paused, "and tomorrow She'll crash us, but today, She loves us. More importantly, we love her." They were silent after that, Fran still looking inward.

"Do you love her?" Balthier was almost startled at the sound of her voice after such length of quiet and looked over. She had turned to him, studying him with intensity. "You humes have a peculiar way of showing it."

"Peculiar to me," he replied easily, with a shrug.

"Go chase your princess," Fran said, walking past him. She paused at the doorway and glanced back to Balthier, "the Sky, she knows where your heart lives."


End file.
